1:20pm: The moves are official, per RealGM’s transaction log.
11:16am: The Timberwolves are making a roster change ahead of the regular season, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that Minnesota will waive sharpshooter Matt Ryan and convert Daishen Nix‘s Exhibit 10 contract to a two-way deal.
Ryan appeared in 34 total games for the Lakers and T-Wolves in 2022/23, averaging 3.6 points in 9.1 minutes per game while making 38.1% of his three-point attempts.
Ryan’s ability to hit outside shots – he’s a career 40.1% three-point shooter in 37 G League regular season appearances – helped earn him a two-way qualifying offer from Minnesota in June, and he eventually accepted that QO in September. However, he’ll lose his two-way spot just a few days ahead of opening night.
Nix, 21, had a solid preseason for the Wolves after joining the team on a non-guaranteed camp deal, averaging 6.0 points and 3.3 assists in just 10.6 minutes per contest, with a red-hot shooting line of .571/.750/1.000.
The young guard already has 81 games of NBA experience under his belt with the Rockets, having spent the last two seasons in Houston. He averaged 3.7 PPG and 2.3 APG in 16.0 MPG (57 appearances) in 2022/23.
Nix will join Luka Garza and Jaylen Clark as Minnesota’s two-way players, while Ryan will become an unrestricted free agent if he passes through waivers without being claimed.
It is still unnerving Rockets let Nix walk with Garuba and Kenyan Martin Jr. These guys can play more defense than what they kept with Green, Sengun, and recently traded Kevin Porter Jr. For a defensive mindset head coach, you think he would have wanted to lean on these 3 to improve a dead last defensive team last year. Somethings you want to know, but in someone’s twisted mind, it was the right thing to do.
KJ Martin was traded because he wanted an extension and the Rockets weren’t willing to give him one, iirc.
Nix is still a mystery to me (other than maybe trying to clean up the crowded backcourt), but Garuba was let go because he has no offensive game whatsoever. If he manages to figure out his jumper or adds some cutting ability, he could be serviceable, but otherwise he’s just an undersized defense-only Center. Houston wanted to move forward and had already decided to add Landale as the primary backup behind Sengun.
Timberpuppies cut MATT RYAN because they had no need for an
Old Washed-up Quarterback !!